MEMORANDUM

TO: Timothy Navarre, Assembly President

Members, Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly

THRU: Dale Bagley, Mayor

FROM: Jan Henry, Director, Office of Emergency Management

Colette G. Thompson, Borough Attorney

DATE: May 3, 2001

SUBJECT: Ordinance 2001-17, authorizing the transfer of the 650 responder barge to the City of Seldovia

In 1997, the borough acquired the 650 responder barge to be utilized by the Seldovia Oil Spill Response Team ("SOS") for training and spill response planning purposes. The transfer to the borough was conditioned upon the borough using the vessel for three years for the training program. The three years have elapsed, and SOS, under contract with the borough, has successfully used the vessel for training purposes during that period. The borough has since been approached by SOS with a request that the vessel be transferred to it. As the borough does not have the ability to directly respond to oil spills, and the City of Seldovia does have such powers, the City of Seldovia has agreed to accept ownership of the barge from the borough with the intent that the city would then transfer the barge to SOS. SOS will maintain the vessel, pay taxes and insurance, and meet other requirements necessary for continued maintenance and operation of the vessel. Retaining this vessel in borough ownership is a potential liability to the borough, and SOS has proven itself to be a capable organization for use of the vessel in providing oil spill response training for the lower Cook Inlet area. The City of Seldovia, as the municipality owning the harbor where the 650 responder barge is kept, is the logical recipient of this barge from the borough.